CMI Announces NEW Youth Ambassador Program! The CMI Youth Ambassador Program is an exclusive program for dedicated high school musicians whose passion for classical music encourages them to connect with the highest standards of performance in the local and global classical music communities.

Come visit CMI's Facebook and join in the FUN! Start a discussion, learn more about CMI, contribute an interesting bit of info about a piece or an artist, add your own rave review about a recent concert, keep up with the latest news about CMI and chamber music!

Chamber Music International is a nonprofit, volunteer-centered organization. There are many opportunities for you to help us.
more information

CMI relies on the generosity of our donors. If you believe in what we are doing and you would like to support us, please consider making a donation today.
more information

Zakarias Grafilo - Violin

Zakarias Grafilo joined the Alexander String Quartet in July 2002. Just prior to joining the ASQ, he served as Principal Second Violinist of the Pacific Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony. Mr. Grafilo was co-founder of the Chamberlain String Quartet, which was Assistant Quartet-in-Residence to the Alexander String Quartet at San Francisco State University. He received his early musical training at the Preparatory Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was later admitted into the Marin Music Conservatory where he studied with Serban Rusu. He received his early orchestral training with the world-renowned San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra where he was Concertmaster in 1992. Mr. Grafilo continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying with Alexander Treger, Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University.

Alexander String Quartet

Having celebrated its 35th Anniversary in 2016, the Alexander String Quartet has performed in the major music capitals of five continents, securing its standing among the world’s premier ensembles. Widely admired for its interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Shostakovich, the quartet’s recordings of the Beethoven cycle (twice), Bartók, and Shostakovich cycle have won international critical acclaim. The quartet has also established itself as an important advocate of new music through over 30 commissions from such composers as Jake Heggie, Cindy Cox, Augusta Read Thomas, Robert Greenberg, Martin Bresnick, Cesar Cano, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Wayne Peterson. A new work by Tarik O’Regan, commissioned for the Alexander by the Boise Chamber Music Series, had its premiere in October 2016, and a work for quintet from Samuel Carl Adams is planned for premiere in early 2019 with pianist Joyce Yang.

The Alexander String Quartet is a major artistic presence in its home base of San Francisco, serving since 1989 as Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances and Directors of The Morrison Chamber Music Center at San Francisco State University.

The Alexander String Quartet’s annual calendar of concerts includes engagements at major halls throughout North America and Europe. The quartet has appeared at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York City; Jordan Hall in Boston; the Library of Congress and Dumbarton Oaks in Washington; and chamber music societies and universities across the North American continent. The quartet recently returned as faculty to the Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, a nexus of their early career. Recent overseas tours have brought them to the U.K., the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Greece, the Republic of Georgia, Argentina, Panamá, and the Philippines. Their recent return and tour of Poland for the Beethoven Easter Festival has been beautifully captured in the new (2017) award-winning documentary film, Con Moto: The Alexander String Quartet.

Among the eminent musicians with whom the Alexander String Quartet has collaborated are pianists Joyce Yang, Roger Woodward, Anne-Marie McDermott, Menachem Pressler, Marc-André Hamelin, and Jeremy Menuhin; clarinetists Joan Enric Lluna, David Shifrin, Richard Stoltzman, and Eli Eban; soprano Elly Ameling; mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; violinist Midori; cellists Lynn Harrell, Sadao Harada, and David Requiro; and jazz greats Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez, and Andrew Speight. The quartet has worked with many composers including Aaron Copland, George Crumb, and Elliott Carter, and has long enjoyed a close relationship with composer-lecturer Robert Greenberg, performing numerous lecture-concerts with him annually.

The Alexander String Quartet added considerably to its distinguished and wide-ranging discography over the past decade, now recording exclusively for the FoghornClassics label. There were three major releases in the 2013-2014 season: The combined string quartet cycles of Bartók and Kodály (“If ever an album had “Grammy nominee” written on its front cover, this is it.” –Audiophile Audition); the string quintets and sextets of Brahms with Toby Appel and David Requiro (“a uniquely detailed, transparent warmth” –Strings Magazine); and the Schumann and Brahms piano quintets with Joyce Yang (“passionate, soulful readings of two pinnacles of the chamber repertory” –The New York Times). Their recording of music of Gershwin and Kern was released in the summer of 2012, following the spring 2012 recording of the clarinet quintet of Brahms and a new quintet from César Cano, in collaboration with Joan Enric Lluna, as well as a disc in collaboration with the San Francisco Choral Artists. An album of works by Cindy Cox was released in 2015. Their recordings of Mozart’s “Prussian” Quartets and Piano Quartets with Joyce Yang will be released in 2018.

The Alexander’s 2009 ForghornClassics release of the complete Beethoven cycle was described by Music Web International as performances “uncompromising in power, intensity and spiritual depth,” while Strings Magazine described the set as “a landmark journey through the greatest of all quartet cycles.” In fall 2017, Foghorn released a high resolution remastered version of their acclaimed recording of the complete Shostakovich quartets. The label released a three-CD set (Homage) of the Mozart quartets dedicated to Haydn in 2004. A recording of the complete quartets of Pulitzer prize-winning San Francisco composer, Wayne Peterson, was released in the spring of 2008. BMG Classics released the quartet’s first recording of Beethoven cycle on its Arte Nova label to tremendous critical acclaim in 1999.

The Alexander String Quartet was formed in New York City in 1981 and captured international attention as the first American quartet to win the London International String Quartet Competition in 1985. The quartet has received honorary degrees from Allegheny College and Saint Lawrence University, and Presidential medals from Baruch College (CUNY). The Alexander plays on a matched set of instruments made in San Francisco by Francis Kuttner (born in Washington, D.C., 1951). This year marks the 30th anniversary of these instruments, known as the Ellen M. Egger quartet.

Martin Beaver - Violin
Martin Beaver is the recipient of the Canada Council's prestigious Virginia Parker Award, received top prizes at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and the 1991 Montreal International Music Competition.

Jeff Bradetich - Doublebass
Double bass professor at the University of North Texas and can be heard on numerous award-winning recording labels.

Associate principal viola of the Dallas Symphony since 1999, Ann Marie Brink is adjunct associate professor of viola at Southern Methodist University, adjunct professor of instrumental studies at the University of North Texas, and teaches at Wintergreen Summer Music Academy, Nellysford, Va.

Jesús Castro-Balbi - Cello
Winner of First Prize at the First Carlos Prieto Latin American Cello Competition in Mexico; the Aldo Parisot Prize at Yale; and the Schwartz Foundation - Salon de Virtuosi Award in New York City.

David Chan - Violin
Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and top prize winner of the Tchaikovsky International Competition at the age of 17.

Zakarias Grafilo joined the Alexander String Quartet in July 2002. Just prior to joining the ASQ, he served as Principal Second Violinist of the Pacific Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony.

Clive Greensmith - Cello
First Prize Winner in the Sergio Lorenzi chamber music competition in Trieste, Italy, and First Prize Winner in the Caltanisetta Duo competition.

Stephanie Jeong - Violin
Associate Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and recipient of the Best Paginini Concerto Prize of the Paganini Violin Competition in Italy.

Clara-Jumi Kang - Violin
Winner of the 2010 Gold Medal at the 8th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis where she also won five additional special prizes.

Sarah Kapustin - Violin
Prizewinner in many competitions and distinguished soloist and chamber musician and member of the Atlas Piano Trio.

Barnabás Kelemen - Violin
Barnabás Kelemens performances at the 2002 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) radiated such charisma that one could almost forget that anyone else had come before.

Alex Kerr - Violin
Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Jeanne Kierman - Piano
Jeanne Kierman Fischer specializes in contemporary American piano music and has presented solo recitals in Africa and North America. As a chamber musician, she appears regularly at festivals such as Tanglewood, Da Camera of Houston, Mohawk Trail concerts, Chamber Music Ann Arbor, Maverick concerts and Juneau Jazz and Classics. Formerly on the faculties of Dartmouth College and the Oberlin Conservatory, Ms. Kierman toured extensively under sponsorship by the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Vermont & Ohio Arts Councils.

Frederick Lifsitz studied violin in his native Boston with Marylou Churchill and at Indiana University with Paul Biss. As a member of the Alexander String Quartet he has performed throughout Europe and North America, appearing regularly at halls such as Amsterdam's Concertebouw and New York City's Lincoln Center.

Leslie Massenburg - Bassoon
Leslie Massenburg began her musical studies with piano at the age of 5. She started playing the bassoon in 1995 and continued to Baylor University for her undergraduate degree in bassoon performance and piano pedagogy. She furthered her bassoon studies with a masters degree from Southern Methodist University and three years at the Aspen Summer Music Festival.

A leading soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Mutuzkin has performed with major orchestras in Italy, Spain, Norway, and England as well as throughout his native Russia. In 2012, he made his debut appearance in the United States when he performed in NYC’s Lincoln Center in a flute quartet with members of the Metropolitan Opera. Maintaining an active performing and teaching career, Ivan is also the author of a book entitled "Experimental Flute in Twentieth Century Music" (based on examples of compositions for solo flute by foreign composers).

Ayano Ninomiya - Violin
Winner of the Naumburg International Violin Competition, the Tibor Varga International Competition, Astral Artists National Auditions, and the Young Performers Career Advancement Award (APAP).

Felix Olschofka - Violin
Winner of two 1st prizes in the prestigious German Youth Music Competition, 2nd prize of the International Chamber Music Competition Charles Hennen in the Netherlands.

Eugene Osadchy - Cello
Associate Professor of Cello at the University of North Texas; Performs in music festivals throughout the USA and Canada

George Papich - Viola
Director of Chamber Music at the University of North Texas and distinguished violist.

Jon Kimura Parker - Piano
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Professor of Piano at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston

Cynthia Phelps - Viola
Cynthia Phelps has been principal violist with the New York Philharmonic since 1992. Her solo appearances with the orchestra have included performances on the 2006 Tour of Italy and the 1999 premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Two Paths, which the Philharmonic commissioned for her and the orchestra's associate principal violist Rebecca Young. Other solo engagements have included the Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao.

Timothy Pitts - Doublebass
Internationally known double bassist and Professor of Double Bass at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.

Joshua Roman - Cello
Dubbed a Classical Rock Star, Joshua Roman has earned a reputation for performing a wide range of repertoire with a commitment to communicating the essence of the music at its most organic level.

Gustavo Romero - Piano
Gold Medallist of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland; Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas

Nathaniel Rosen - Cello
Gold Medallist of the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow and highly distinguished concert and recording artist.

James Ryon has appeared as recitalist and soloist in the United States, South & Central America and the Middle East. He currently is Professor of Oboe at the University of North Texas College of Music and he serves as the Principal Oboist of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the Juilliard School and has received performance fellowships at the Aspen, Berkshire, Blossom, Kneisel Hall and New College Music Festivals. His principal teachers are Robert Bloom and John Mack.

The Zorá String Quartet - Various
Winner of Grand Prize and Gold Medal of the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the 2015 Coleman National Chamber Music Competition in California, and the 2015 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, where they were also awarded the Sander Buchman Award.

Satoshi Takeishi - Percussion
A drummer, percussionist, and an arranger from Mito, Japan, moved to Colombia to learn more about the South American tango music after graduating from the Berklee School of Music

Michael Tree - Viola
One of the most widely recorded musicians in America and founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet.

A native of Northumberland, England, Sandy Wilson completed his graduate studies at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen as a recipient of two Danish Government Scholarships and the Sophus Berendsen Award.

Katie is currently Principal Horn of both The Dallas Opera and the Dallas Chamber Symphony, and she also frequently plays as a substitute or extra horn with the Dallas Symphony and Fort Worth Symphony. Prior to becoming Principal Horn for the opera, she was Third Horn from 2014-2017.

Qian Wu - Piano
Qian Wu, founding member of the Sitkovetshy Trio, was awarded the 1st prize at the Trio di Trieste Duo Competition with Alexander Sitkovetsy in 2011.

Paul Yarbrough, violist, is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and a founding member of the Alexander String Quartet. Mr. Yarbrough's teachers have included Elaine Lee Richey, Lillian Fuchs, Raymond Page, and Sally Peck.

John Bruce Yeh - Clarinet
A prizewinner at both the 1982 Munich International Music Competition and the 1985 Naumburg Clarinet Competition in New York

Phillip Ying - Viola
Recipient of the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music, has won a Grammy for a collaborative recording with the Turtle Island String Quartet, and has been nominated three additional times, most recently for a collaborative album with pianist, Billy Childs.

Zhang Zuo - Piano
Winner of the coveted Petschek Piano Award at The Juilliard School. She was awarded first prizes at China's 1st International Piano Concerto Competition, the Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition in America, and the Krainev International Piano Competition in Ukraine; she was also a prizewinner at the 2013 Queen Elizabeth Competition.